Within the framework of the revised taxonomy of educational objectives created by Anderson and Krathwohl, this study attempted to describe the design and examine the learning outcomes of an intervention focused on the development of higher order thinking at an elementary education setting. A class of 21 sixth graders participated in the project,…

The fraudulent claims by policymakers and pundits that the United States is losing its economic competitiveness due to a failing education system continue unabated. However, the latest data on competitiveness suggest that it is poor economic policy, not education, that is holding back the economy.

This article describes mathematics teachers' evaluation practices and the reasoning and beliefs that support those practices. The data were collected in two Portuguese schools representing very different results in the national exams, through semi-structured interviews with mathematics teachers and departmental curriculum coordinators as well as…

Educational systems across the globe are attempting to reshape the vertical and horizontal dimensions of school accountability. The vertical dimension involves devolution of responsibility to individual schools while the horizontal typically entails promoting the professionalism of leaders and teachers through school networks and school-to-school…

Reading and writing difficulties are markers for some forms of learning disorders, and measuring the distance between the child's performance and an expected level of attainment is a common approach to diagnosis. However, there are several problems with relying on the gap between achievement and expectation for arriving at a diagnosis, not least…

This study investigates the possibilities of estimating value added as a performance indicator in senior secondary vocational education. Value added is interesting in this context because it is considered as a reliable tool for comparing the effectiveness of educational institutions. Although value added indicators have been developed since the…

Effective schools should be superior in both enhancing students' achievement levels and reducing the gap between high- and low-achieving students in the school. However, the focus has been placed mainly on schools' achievement levels in most school effect studies. In this article, we attend to the school-specific achievement dispersion as well as…

To assist low achieving students in the mastery of instructional objectives in major subject areas, the Ministry of Education of Israel published definitions of Minimum Achievement Requirements (MAR) for specific subjects at all grade levels. To examine the feasibility of the MAR approach and to determine whether it contributed to the attainment…

Reviews international academic achievement differences and argues that poor U.S. performance in math reflects curricular focus and teaching deficiencies, not inadequate sampling techniques. Reveals that U.S. student achievement has been weak for decades, suggesting fundamental school reform is warranted. (GR)

Argues against Gerald Bracey's following assertions (1996): (1) U.S. students do far better on international academic comparisons than reported; and (2) the government and popular press have led the country into a false achievement crisis. Suggests that U.S. participation in international studies of this type relies on a strong and independent…

Responds to David Baker's critical essay (1996) concerning G. W. Bracey's arguments that a false academic achievement crisis had been government engineered and that U.S. students were, in fact, comparing well to their international counterparts. Discusses shared issues between L. C. Stedman (1993, 1996) and Baker, and explores data and contentions…

Addresses the issue of comparing U.S. with student academic achievement in other countries and argues that there is cause to be concerned. Reveals a consistently poor academic achievement record for U.S. students that spans 50 years. Such evidence suggests that U.S. schooling and learning are seriously deficient, warranting fundamental reform. (GR)

For more than 50 years, the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) has been conducting comparative studies of educational achievement in a number of curriculum areas, including mathematics and science. TIMSS 2011 represents the fifth cycle of the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS),…